Browsing by Author "Rawson, E.S."

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Creatine supplementation does not reduce muscle damage or enhance recovery from resistance exercise
(2007-11) Rawson, E.S.; Conti, M.P.; Miles, Mary
Previous studies have shown that creatine supplementation reduces muscle damage and inﬂammation following running but not following high-force, eccentric exercise. Although the mechanical strain placed on muscle ﬁbers during high-force, eccentric exercise may be too overwhelming for creatine to exert any protective effect, creatine supplementation may protect skeletal muscle stressed by a resistance training challenge that is more hypoxic in nature. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of short-term creatine supplementation on markers of muscle damage (i.e., strength, range of motion, muscle soreness, muscle serum protein activity, C-reactive protein) to determine whether creatine supplementation offers protective effects on skeletal muscle following a hypoxic resistance exercise test. Twenty-two healthy, weight-trained men (19–27 years) ingested either creatine or a placebo for 10 days. Following 5 days of supplementation, subjects performed a squat exercise protocol (5 sets of 15–20 repetitions at 50% of 1 repetition maximum [1RM]). Assessments of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase activity, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, maximal strength, range of motion (ROM), and muscle soreness (SOR) with movement and palpation were conducted pre-exercise and during a 5-day follow up. Following the exercise test, maximal strength and ROM decreased, whereas SOR and CK increased. Creatine and placebo-supplemented subjects experienced signiﬁcant decreases in maximal strength (creatine: 13.4 kg, placebo: 17.5 kg) and ROM (creatine: 2.4°, placebo: 3.0°) immediately postexercise, with no difference be-tween groups. Following the exercise test, there were signiﬁcant increases in SOR with movement and palpation (p < 0.05 at 24, 48, and 72 hours postexercise), and CK activity (p < 0.05 at 24 and 48 hours postexercise), with no differences between groups at any time. These data suggest that oral creatine supplementation does not reduce skeletal muscle damage or enhance recovery following a hypoxic resistance exercise challenge.
Low-dose creatine supplementation enhances fatigue resistance in the absence of weight gain
(Elsevier, 2011-04) Miles, Mary; Rawson, E.S.; Stech, M.J.; Frederickson, Sara J.
Objective: We examined the effects of 6 wk of low-dose creatine supplementation on body composition, muscle function, and body creatine retention. Methods: Twenty healthy men and women (21 ± 2 y old) were randomized to receive creatine (0.03 g • kg ^-1 • d-1; n=10, 4 women) for 6 wk in a double-blind placebo-controlled fashion. Participants were tested on two occasions before supplementation to establish a reliable baseline, and then were retested after supplementation. Testing included body composition, maximal strength (three-repetition maximal concentric knee extension at 180 degrees/s), muscle fatigue (five sets of 30 concentric knee extensions at 180 degrees/s), and plasma creatine concentration. Results: There were no significant differences in body mass, fat-free mass, fat mass, body fat percentage, total body water, or maximal strength in either group from before to after supple-mentation (all P > 0.05). After supplementation, plasma creatine increased significantly in the creatine group (+182%, P = 0.03), with no difference in the placebo group. Compared with baseline values, creatine-supplemented volunteers were more resistant to fatigue during sets 2 (7%), 3 (9%), 4 (9%), and 5 (11%) (all P < 0.05). In placebo-supplemented participants, there was no improvement in fatigue resistance during sets 2 (0%), 3 (1%), 4 (0%), and 5 (1%) (all P > 0.05). Conclusion: Ingesting a low dose (2.3 g/d) of creatine for 6 wk significantly increased plasma creatine concentration and enhanced resistance to fatigue during repeated bouts of high-intensity contractions.